Nearly two weeks ago, a few friends of mine and I went and got manicures and pedicures.  We all know that pedi’s pretty much are indestructible, but mani’s are a completely different story.  I don’t often go to the salon to get a mani, but it is fun to go as a group, so off I went.

One of my MAJOR pet peeves about paying for a salon mani is that my mani has often smudged by the time I get in my car (GRRR!!), or chipped less than a week later.  SO annoying, because, hello – mani’s are NOT cheap.  But, this time, I decided I would bring along my own nail polish and see if it would last a bit longer.

I had the Essie Nail Polish Summer Collections – ‘s’il vous play’ and ‘clothing optional’ to choose from!

I realized that salons, in attempt to make their polishes last longer, add a diluent – which yes, protects the polish from hardening or clumping – BUT affects the quality and robustness of your mani.  So, taking your polish is always the best course of action.  This time, I had several to choose from, so I picked a cute coral/reddish hue.

Anyway, I’m nearly two weeks in and the mani has stood the test of time and I credit the following things with helping:

1. Taking my own bottle of polish to the salon.  The bottom and top coats seemed fine, but taking a new bottle of polish seemed to make a big difference.

2. About three days later, adding another coat of topcoat at home.  I like this one.

3. Depending on how fast your nails grow, trimming them 1.5 weeks in and adding another layer of top coat.

That’s it!  Let me know if you decide to try these tips and how they work for you.  What tips do you have for making your mani’s last??  Share them with me below in the comments section.